Potential Long Duration Light To Moderate Snow Event...

From the Black Hills out into central South Dakota, some hefty snowfall amounts are possible from Sunday night through early Tuesday morning. Elsewhere, lighter snowfall amounts are expected. Check out the Snow Probabilities for your area! They are updated at least twice daily.
Read More >

What a change in the weather in five days across central and northeast South Dakota along with west central Minnesota. Mild Pacific air brought temperatures into the mid 30s to the mid 40s across the region on Friday, January 28th. In five days, low temperatures across the region were mostly in the teens and 20s below zero on Wednesday, February 2nd. The temperature difference between Friday’s highs and Wednesday’s lows were from 50 to almost 70 degrees. Some of the greatest temperature ranges were at Murdo, Pierre, Gann Valley, Roscoe, Watertown, Pollock, Mobridge, and Aberdeen. After a high of 46 degrees on Friday, January 28th, the temperature at Murdo fell to -12 degrees on Wednesday, February 2nd. Pierre reached 43 degrees on January 28th and fell to -15 degrees on February 2nd. Gann Valley reached 40 degrees on Friday and fell to -20 degrees on Wednesday. Watertown topped out at 35 degrees on Friday and fell to -26 degrees on Wednesday. Some of the largest temperature ranges were at Pollock, Mobridge, and Aberdeen where the temperature differences from Friday to Wednesday ranged from 64 to 69 degrees. Pollock went from 33 degrees above zero to 31 degrees below zero in five days. Mobridge’s temperature went from 41 degrees above to 27 degrees below zero. Finally, Aberdeen had the largest range from high to low temperature when it went from 40 degrees above on Friday, January 28th to 29 degrees below zero on Wednesday, February 2nd, a 69 degree difference.

Wide temperature ranges like this occur in South Dakota this time of year as Pacific air and Gulf air are replaced quickly by Canadian or Arctic air. The temperatures across our area are expected to rise into the 30s by Friday as mild Pacific air moves in with bitter Arctic air returning again to the region by Monday.